A Saiyajin's Heartache
by Jan Kun
Summary: GV. Gohan's in despair over letting his father die during the Cell Games. Will he redeem himself when an evil sorcerer casts Majin Buu upon the Earth? DBZ-AU. Recently updated! R n' R!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes:** I don't own DBZ, or any of the characters associated with the series! Just a GxV fan. This is a re-upload of a fanfic I did several years ago. I read over it a few times, and decided it's worth continuing. Enjoy!

**Chapter One**

It was the brightest shade of red he had ever seen. His eyes were fixated on the stain that graced the hem of his shirt. A bead of sweat ran down the side of his heat stricken cheek as he ran down the corridor of main building of Orange Star High. Unruly spiked hair seemed to stiffen as a figure blurred out into his field of vision. Short breaths indicated that he was out of breath, but he kept on dashing down the hall towards the figure hoping to evade it by travelling to the side. Unfortunately, he was side stepped. The figure he had intended to pass had put it's foot in the Demi-Saiya-jin's path. He crumpled to the ground, ending up flat on his back. The figure leaned down towards him, waving a hand in front of his pale face. It looked as if he were completely unconscious.

"So, who're you running from this time? You didn't get in another fight, did you?" The voice was familiar. It took a few seconds for his mind to register, to recognize the voice. After regaining his composure the boy sat up, clutching at the cut on his wrist. It wasn't deep enough to damage any arteries, but deep enough to cause an abundance of blood to seep out through his wound. The stinging did not cease as the open air passed over the gash. His eyes clenched shut, a hiss passed through his teeth as the Saiya-jin grimaced at the sight of his own blood; his own wounds. Unlike during the the Cell Games, wounds were of no concern to anyone. It was all a matter of staying alive. At Orange Star High, a simple drop of blood can send someone straight to the nurse.

"Oh! It wasn't a fight! I was just-- Uh .. I ran into someone and caught the edge of an open locker!" Gohan quickly staggered to his feet, his vision remaining hazy. He blinked a few times to regain his vision, but was unsuccessful in his endeavors. He saw a gloved hand come up to his forehead, finding himself almost tripping backwards as he was flicked upon his forehead. A sheepish grin danced along his lips, his hand grabbing the opposite wrist. He squeezed the cloth of his sleeve around the open wound, the cloth quickly started to soak up the blood. He was starting to feel dizzy again.

"I'll believe it when I see it happen, smart one. Come on. Let's get you bandaged up so you don't die of blood loss. You can't die on me now, anyways. We have a test tommorow, and you're the only one I can copy off of." This sent a chuckle through the Demi-Saiya-jin's throat, dark orbs scanning over the female in front of him curiously. The gloved hand; the stern, yet gentle voice. Of course, it could only be one person.

"I'm fine! Really, Videl!" His efforts to dodge her grappling his arm tightly failed miserably. After she had him in her clutches, she nearly dragged him to the nurse's office. The nurse nearly had a heart attack when she saw the damage on Gohan's wrist. Videl scolded the nurse, and crossed her arms in aggravation. She sighed headily, glancing out of the window to the fountain that was in front of the school. It was a nice view; she considered the nurse's office to be one of the nicest rooms of the entire school. There was a clutter of instruments on the counter, and on the swiveling chair; a horrid mess, but it was still a nice room. Videl wondered how the nurse could work when she was this organized.

The nurse prepared the cloth to wrap up Gohan's room by soaking it in alcohol, then spraying a small amount of adhesive on each end. Gohan turned his head towards the bandage, and sighed heavily when the nurse approached him to clean up the wound on his wrist with iodine. The sweat began to build once more, matting the hair of his brows when he realized what she had dipped the cotton swab with. Onyx eyes darted around in search for a way out, but he had no other choice but to suffer through the unimaginable pain of the iodine. The nurse firmly held the boy's wrist in place, almost letting out a giggle when she saw him panicking.

"This won't hurt _one_ bit!" She joked, applying the iodine to the Demi-Saiyain's wrist.

The boy's childlish scream was heard all the way down the hall in his English class. Videl couldn't help but laugh at Gohan's misfortune.

- - - - - - - - - -

"That sure went well." Gohan's eyes rolled, settling on the puff of hair that was draped down his forehead. School had ended, and he was on his walk towards the front of the school where Bulma arrived to pick him up from school nearly every day. Unfortunately for him, he had forgotten to bring an extra shirt with him, so the stains of blood here obviously visible to the naked eye. Without realizing that his bandaged wound was visible, he climbed into the passenger's side of the car. The aqua haired woman noticed that he was trying to hide the wound on his wrist, taking a moment to start the car.

"Wanna talk about it?" Her voice sounded motherly, sending a wave of warmth through Gohan's core. He had always been close with Bulma. He thought of her as a second mother most of the time, when Chi-Chi was busy with Goten. The Demi-Saiya-jin always ran to her whenever a problem came along. His father was no longer there, and Goten was her biggest priority. She had given Gohan a large amount of independence, acknowleding the needs of her growing teenager. It was a nice feeling to have at first, when his father was around. Chi-Chi had finally realized that Gohan had grown up by the time the Cell Games were over. The title that Gohan had for all these years was finally passed on to his younger sibling. He was no longer the "baby" of the family.

"I'm accident prone. That's all." Gohan's eyes looked sharply out of the window. He was recieving glances from all of the students that passed by the car. Several of his classmates pointed at him with a chuckle as they crossed the window. A small snarl roared through the throat of the teenager, his eyes narrowed at the students glanced through the window to get a look at his blood soaked shirt. The glare he sent through the window sent shivers through the spines of his peers, causing them to edge on through the sidewalk.

"Let's go." Were the last words Bulma heard from Gohan as she revved the engine and pulled into traffic. Capsule Corporation was not far from Orange Star High; it was about a twenty minute round trip. In the front garden, the two youngins were playing in the yard to Bulma's surprise. The purple haired youngster scurried to the passenger's side of his mother's car, peering through the window. He backed away, looking a bit frightened.

"What's wrong with Gohan, mom?" Trunks dashed over to the other side of the car, peering over at the Demi-Saiya-jin behind his mother. Gohan's eyes were fixated on his bandaged wrist. The small boy could've sworn he saw a tear roll down the side of his idol's face. Trunks attempted to crawl inside to ask Gohan himself, but his parental unit grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up playfully so they were eye to eye. Bulma gave a stern shake of her head to her son, and set him back down on his feet. Trunks took a moment to study his mother's look, and finally understood. He nodded vigorously and ran off in the other direction to resume his play with Goten. The aqua-haired genius leaned down to get a glimpse of the half Saiya-jin, who was silently crying. A frown tained her lips as she sat back down in the car, leaving the door open on her left side.

"What happened, Gohan?" Before she had any more time to console him, Gohan leaned his cheek against the older woman's shoulder. Bulma lifted her arm and wrapped it around the younger male's shoulder. This was the first time Bulma saw the boy shed a single tear since he was a child. An unbearable sight it was, it made the smarted woman on all of Earth want to shed her own tears.

As Gohan's tears were dabbed away from his face by Bulma's thumbs, there was a ear piercing shriek from inside of the house. It was upstairs, in the restroom. Apparently it was Goten's; the young boy had traveled up the staircase in the living room to go to the restroom on the second floor. Gohan bolted fron the car and into the house; he dashed up the staircase, nearly tripping over himself as he rushed to his younger brother.

"Goten! What's wrong!" Onyx hues stared at the fear stricken child as he looked onward to the interior of the restroom. The scene sent surges of pain throughout Gohan's body, his chest started to ache. Their mother was laying in a heap on the floor, an opened container of asprin in an open palm. Several pills were scattered over the tiled floor, obviously from the way she had collapsed. Gohan was quick, running down the stairs to the living room, looking for the telephone.

Bulma looked ill stricken when she arrived at the front door to see Gohan scrambling around, cluttering up the living room in search for the phone. A bad premonition flashing through her mind. Vegeta was on the other side of the room, watching the younger Demi-Saiya-jin ruffle through several of his martial arts magazines in search for the phone.

"What're you running around like a crazed animal for, brat! What are you looking for, any--" Vegeta was in a rage, obviously disliking the idea of having to clean up after Gohan. It was his job to keep the living room in top shape, according to Bulma. She was sure to make him clean up the mess as soon as Gohan would leave. Out of sympathy, usually.

"The **phone**, you idiot! Where is it!" Gohan barked at Vegeta as if he were giving him an order. Vegeta's fists clenched in anger as he held out the phone, which he hid behind his back moments earlier to see what the younger one was doing. Gohan's temper started to rise as he snatched the phone away from Vegeta's clutches, fumbling with the plastic object as it danced in the air before he finally got a hold of it. He turned it on and dialed the numbers hasilty, anxiously waiting for an answer.

"What's wrong with the brat.. " Vegeta's voice trailed off when the two young ones approached the blue haired genius and clinged to her waist.

"Mom-- " Trunks started, trying to hold back his tears. He was cut off my Goten, who was hysterical.

"My mom's not breathing! She's .. she's .. not breathing, Aunt Bulma!" Goten managed through his intense sobbing. Gohan dashed back up the stairs that led to the restroom and came back down, cradling the unconscious Chi Chi in his arms. His eyes stared down at the pale-faced woman, Bulma recognized those eyes. They were so full of hatred, full of frustration.

As the ambulance arrived at Capsule Corporation, the loudest scream was let out by the Demi-Saiya-jin. Gohan's eyes flared turquoise, then reverted back to their onyx shade several times as he let out his frustration and pain within his screams.

- - - - - - - - - -

"Gohan?" Videl had arrived at her front door when she heard the scream, it sounded familiar. She was sure it was Gohan's voice. But, how on Earth should she recognize it from a distance? She was all the way in Satan City, and Gohan was at Capsule Corporation.

Something was going on. She had to find out.

**End Chapter One**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

It seemed as if everything was moving in slow motion; the pills being brushed back into the bottle, bringing the fallen Chi Chi onto a stretcher and loading her into the ambulance when it arrived, loading everyone up in the vehicle. Chi Chi was put on a respirator, the EMT's on hand revealed to the group that she had a pulse; it was very faint. It didn't take long for the ambulance to arrive at the emergency ward. During the time in the ambulance, Gohan did not shed a tear, nor have a look of concern at all for his mother. Such a lack of concern for his mother aggrivated Bulma; she jabbed an elbow into his side sharply. He winced a bit, letting out a heavy sigh.

It was going to be one heck of a day.

- - - - - - - - - -

"Dad, I'm going out for a little while!" Obviously the dominant Satan of the house gave no attention to his teenage daughter, paying attention to the many videos of himself winning the last Tenkaichi Budoukai. Videl took the keys to the hover vehicle that was in the garage. Before stepping out into the garage, she retrieved her back pack from her room. She wandered out of the Satan Residence, off towards Capsule Corporation. She figured he was there, since she knew his usual where abouts after school.

"_I wonder if he's alright. That wasn't the childish scream I heard earlier today._" Several thoughts expanded throughout her mind as she tried to narrow down what was wrong. She had a vague idea, but her assumptions could only be wrong. The only thing that she could think of was the wound still searing with pain. The nurse did slab on a heap of iodine, after all.

- - - - - - - - - -

After landing in the front garden of the Brief's Residence, she noticed that the front door was left wide open. It struck her as odd, usually most people left their homes locked up when they were away. The girl approached the front door, being greeted by Dr. Briefs. She nearly stumbled backwards when he popped into her field of vision from the corner of the door way.

"Yes? Can I help you, young lady? What brings you to Capsule Corporation?" The old man flashed her a bright smile, his thick grey mustache covering both of his lips. Videl cleared her throat, trying to take a glance pass Dr. Brief's shoulder. She suddenly felt a wave of heat pass over her cheeks as she began wondering where he had gone. There seemed to be skid marks on the main entrance to the garden. What could've skidded to a halt in the garden of Capsule Corporation?

"I'm looking for Gohan; is he here? He should be here by now. He usually comes here after school. I just came by to see him!" Videl rambled on, not realizing how enthusiastic she sounded about someone she bickered with almost every day; maybe she was just nervous. Her peach colored cheeks flared a bright shade of crimson before her expression dropped as Dr. Briefs replied to her inquiry.

"Oh, Gohan! He's at the emergency ward right now, I think!" Dr. Briefs triumphantly answered the girl, whose knees where buckling from anticipation. Before the mechanical whiz had any time to give the child of Satan any more information, she was already several feet into the air with her hover vehicle. Without hesitation, she sped off in the other direction towards the hospital.

"_Damnit, Gohan! You're not hurt, are you?_" Several thoughts plagued the girl's mind, nervous nails trying to keep the vehicle steady in the air. Her shaking did not cease until she arrived at the emergency ward entrance.

"Nice girl, she is." Dr. Briefs chuckled to himself as the hover vehicle fanned the debris of the garden into the threshold of the house.

- - - - - - - - - -

The ambulance finally arrived at the emergency ward, the on-hand EMTs moving as quickly as possible to get the fallen mother into the main examination room. The container of pills were snatched away from Gohan and given to the doctor's assistant as they rolled Chi Chi into the examination room. The rest of the family was instructed to say put in the lobby of the emergency ward. It took nearly everyone in the room to keep Goten inside of the room. The little one wailed hysterically, demanding to know what was wrong with his mother.

"She over-dosed." Gohan was the first to speak. He crossed his arms over his chest, withdrawing from the group; he retreated to the corner of the room. Bulma marched over to the Demi-Saiya-jin and swiftly cracked her palm against the side of his face, which left a noticeable indentation. Her hands retreated to her hips, cerulean hues glaring sternly into his own, which were glancing in the other direction; diverting away from the expression on her face. He noticed that her temper was flaring; he could hear her faint growling. The coldness never left Gohan's face, which drew the aqua haired woman's temper even higher.

"You don't know that for sure, Gohan! For all **you** know, she could have collapsed of exhaustion--"

"He's right. She did over-dose," The doctor came through the door from the opposite end of the room where the entrance to the examination room was. "On asprin pills." He finished, taking the container from his coat pocket and shaking it a bit. He opened up a manilla folder and reviewed the information he had on the inside. Luckily Bulma has the chance to fax Chi Chi's information to the emergency ward as everyone was loading up into the ambulance.

"How is she! What're you doing to my mother!" Goten marched up to the doctor, and tugged at the lower portion of his coat. The child fought to hold back his tears, disregarding everyone else's pleas and questions for the doctor. The doctor chuckled at the child's demands; he knelt down and placed a hand atop of Goten's head. The doctor's lips curved into a hopeful smile, making Goten tilt his head in curiousity. The politeness of the doctor reminded Gohan of how his father treated him when he was that age. His eyes continued to stare away from the expression of the entire group, fixated on the scenary outside.

"Don't worry! Your mother will be fine. She's having her stomach pumped, and she'll be given some charcoal to clear out her stomach. Luckily she didn't take an extreme amount," The hand atop Goten's head retreated as the doctor stood back up, facing Bulma. He nodded a bit to reassure the blue haired genius. "Otherwise she wouldn't've made it here. Whoever called for an ambulance when they did saved her life for sure." Bulma tilted her head to take a glance at Gohan, whose eyes continued to shift around the room aimlessly. Goten made his way over to Gohan, and wrapped his arms around his legs in a childish embrace.

The Demi-Saiya-jin tilted his head down at the little one at his legs, and patted his head slightly. He didn't smile; his face looking none too happy. Goten frowned in frustration, opening his mouth to scowl his older brother; he was silenced by the shake of Gohan's head. The younger sibling wanted to know why Gohan was acting like this; it wasn't the brother that he knew and loved.

"Just be glad that she's still here, Goten." Onyx orbs glanced towards the door on the opposite end of the room, which opened; a nurse gleefully marched out. She announced that Chi Chi had been moved into a room in the extended portion of the hospital to rest, so everyone was able to go see and talk with her. Vegeta smirked and took a hold on Bulma's shoulder when she started to walk with the rest of the group towards the exit of the emergency ward. She stopped and turned towards the Saiya-jin prince, tilting her head a bit.

"Make sure everyone else gets to see the woman first. The half breed will more than likely tear her limb from limb if he gets to her." He nodded once towards his wife, and proceeded to walk out of the ward. Bulma's eyes darted towards the corner where Gohan was; he was gone. The daughter of Briefs cursed herself, and dashed out of the room; she rushed passed everyone in hope to catch Gohan. She had a bad preminition about Chi Chi, knowing that Gohan was liable to snap at the current state he was in. He had been acting strange all week; much like her husband usually is. It was very uncharacteristical of the Demi-Saiya-jin to be acting this cold; his heart and soul were always open and caring.

When she arrived at the door of Chi Chi's room, Gohan was standing in front of it; he was staring down helplessly at the sign on the door that displayed his mother's name. His fists were clenched at his side, his teeth gritting; the child of Son Goku seemed to be immoble at the thought of his mother being ill. Bulma cautiously went over to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder; his hand came up over hers, sending a wave of relief through the aqua haired woman.

"You're not the only one still hurting, Gohan," She moved in front of his and gesture for him to hug her; the half breed leaning his head down into her shoulder. Her motherly instincts kicked in, her arms coming around the younger male; a hand running through his unruly, thick mat of hair. "She called me every day, telling me how much she missed him. She didn't want you to see her when she was that depressed, kid," She continued, feeling Gohan's shoulders tense up as she spoke into his ear softly. "It finally got the best of her. It just wasn't her day, today." He suddenly backed away, staring into her eyes. His own seemed hollow; almost afraid.

"She doesn't bear the guilt and the burden that I do." The remainder of the group finally arrived, stopping a few feet in front of the two engaged in conversation. Vegeta was the only one who seemed a bit shocked. He was the first one to break the silence of the family. He stepped towards Gohan; the Demi-Saiya-jin backing away slightly when Vegeta approached him.

"I'm shocked, brat. I thought for sure you would barge in there and rip her limb from limb! What's the matter with you!" The Saiya-jin prince went over and gave the teen a hearty slap on the back, letting out a heartful laugh. Unfortunately, it didn't lighten up the group's mood at all. Vegeta ended up being in the same position as Gohan, crossing his arms over his chest. Out of no where, Trunk started to laugh; although Vegeta could easily tell he was forcing it.

"Oh shut up, child. You know I'm not the 'funny' type," He was the first to enter the room, holding the door open for the kids and Bulma. He nodded towards Gohan, acknowledging his gesture of wanting to say behind. "You know he's proud of you, brat. Get over yourself, already. It's in the past." It was the first time Vegeta had said anything to Gohan that was between only the two of them. The half breed kept himself quiet, and waved Vegeta on. The prince shook his head in disgust, and entered the room. On the outside, Gohan could hear Chi Chi's faint sobbing.

- - - - - - - - - -

"Where is he! Where's my baby," Chi Chi cried weakly, her eyes darting amongst the group in efforts to find her eldest son. Goten climbed up onto the bed, and sat next to her. He clinged to her, tears forming at the corner of his eyes. Bulma came towards Goten, placing a hand on his head. Chi Chi embraced her youngest child tight, looking up at Bulma. "Bulma?" The genius looked towards the door, and shook her head. The woman holding her child nodded with a frown.

"I'm right here, mom!" Goten blurted out, only to be met with a jab to his side by Trunks. Goten whined and looked up at Chi Chi, who was busying herself by stroking a hand through Goten's hair. Goten narrowed his eyes at Trunks and mouthed "_What was that for!_" Trunks tried his best to look like the tough guy, placing both of his hands at his sides while giving the other child a sly smirk.

"She meant Gohan, dummy!" Trunks blurted, only to be met with a backhand to the side of his head by Vegeta. It wasn't hard enough to cause any pain; it caused the purple haired boy to stare up at his father, his bottom lip sticking out. "What was that for, dad!" He demanded, rubbing the side of his head. Vegeta placed his palm on top of Trunks' head and ruffled the hair on top of his head.

"I may call the other's names, but you cannot." Chi Chi laughed slightly at this sight. It was the first time she had seen Vegeta act so fatherly towards Trunks. Goten grinned at Trunks' misfortune, and nestled his cheek against his mother's shoulder. Bulma stared at Vegeta, a shocked expression shadowing over her face.

"I had no idea you could be so fatherly, Vegeta. It's about time!" Chi Chi joked, her voice still faint. Vegeta sneered slightly, crossing his arms over his chest once more as he went back towards the door. He peered through the door, Gohan staring directly at him through the window; his ki felt strange to Vegeta. He continued to stare out of the door window, replying to his wife.

"Don't flatter me, woman. Now, all of you; we need to leave. The brat's growing impatient." The Demi-Saiya-jin stood outside of the threshold of the room. Bulma noticed that he started to look eager to come inside. Vegeta took a hold of the scruff of Trunks' neck and lifted him off of the ground, taking his child with him as he retreated to the lobby with the rest. Bulma declined Vegeta's instruction, going over to Goten and pried him off of Chi Chi. She bribed him with a few toys, causing the little one to trot out into the lobby to play with his friend. Afterwards, Bulma went over to the door and pulled it open for Gohan. Without acknowledging the presence of the woman he considered his second mother, Gohan entered. Chi Chi's eyes watered greatly, but felt no urge to cry.

"My baby.. Gohan, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to--" Gohan lifted his hand to silence her. His head suddenly lowered, his hand holding his bandaged wrist. He almost laughed at his mother's apology, a cynical smile coming over his lips.

"All of this is my fault, mother. All of it." Gohan's wrists fell to his sides, his fists clenching tightly. Bulma shook her head in disbelief, approaching the Demi-Saiya-jin cautiously; the tension in the air felt haunting. Chi Chi burst into tears, curling her legs to her chest weakly. The aqua haired woman's hand went to Gohan's shoulder, but he brushed it off.

"I told Bulma to take care of you, Gohan.. I couldn't handle taking care of my two boys without the patriarch of this family. I'm not strong enough to.. " Chi Chi's words trailed off as she burried her pale face into the pillow she cradled in between her knees and chest. Bulma's hand went to Gohan's shoulder once more, the half breed brushing it off more fiercely this time. His eyes were clenched shut, his breathing heavied greatly; Bulma pulled him into her arms and leaned his head onto her shoulder in efforts to calm him down. Unfortunately, it heightened his frustration.

"So you made excuses to drive me away from our home, and manipulated me into thinking that I was doing the right thing by giving you the space you needed when I **knew** that you were suffering too!" Gohan's voice boomed through the opening in the door, several doctors turning their heads as they walked towards their patient's rooms. There was a figure peering through their door; Bulma tried to recognize the form behind the door, but Gohan was her primary concern.

"She was protecting you, honey! She didn't want you to continue suffering the same pain she did! You should know better than that! She didn't raise you to think irrationally like that!" Bulma pleaded, a hand coming up to run through the short hairs of the back of the half breed's head. Gohan took a hold of Bulma's wrists lightly and backed away from her. Onyx orbs darted from Chi Chi to the woman in front of him several times before he finally spoke.

"It's **my** fault that my father died. And it's **my** fault that he decided to stay in the other dimension. **No** one bears the guilt that I do, Bulma. I should have killed Cell when I had the chance to," Bulma's embrace tightened around the boy in her arms. She didn't know this side of Gohan; it frightened her a great deal. The child she knew and loved had grown up; he was no longer the care free and loving boy she knew. "Don't tell me that she suffers the same pain as I do! He was taken away from me because of **my **careless decision! And you were going to take yourself away from me, too! How can I forgive you for pulling something like this, mother!" He continued his verbal assault, the door behind him creaking open. Bulma's expression rose suddenly. Gohan didn't turn his head, his eyes staring into his mother's.

"Hey, I know you! You're the daughter of Satan, aren't you?" The girl at the door bowed slightly in embarrassment. A gloved hand came to rub behind her head as she laughed nervously. She didn't step inside of the room, her eyes fixated on Gohan's tall form. Bulma stepped to the side, gesturing for her to come in; Videl kept her position at the door.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything, Miss Briefs." The teenage girl's hands were folded neatly in front of her lap as she bowed once more, glancing over to the side in embarrassment. Before she could say any more, Gohan turned around and started to walk towards the door. He turned to Bulma and smiled weakly. Chi Chi looked on, her heart sinking in her chest.

"You wanted me to talk about it, so I did. I'm sorry," The half breed turned toward Videl, his expression changing a great deal; he looked even more serious than before. His eyes looked emotionless. "You want to know the truth about what happened during the Cell Games seven years ago?" Videl stared directly into his eyes, a gloved hand coming up to the scruff of his neck, pulling his face down to hers. Her eyes narrowed, her mouth opened to respond to him; he brought an index finger to her lips.

"You want to know who **really** killed Cell, and saved this planet?" Videl's cheeked were flushed, her body consumed in the heat of her embarrassment. She seemed to be lost in his eyes; they looked so emotionless. It was hard to believe what he was saying; his pent up frustration made him irrational. The girl mouthed her words, her lips brushing against the side of the index finger that hushed her.

"It was **me** who saved this planet, Videl. I lost my father in that battle, and it was becase of **me** that he died. You can believe your father all you want, but the truth will always be right here in front of you." His finger retreated from her soft lips, the half breed walking past her. Her eyes widened at this relevation, the girl dropping to her knees as she watched the boy walk silently down the corridor to the lobby.

"Is it true? Has my father been living a lie.. All this time?" Bulma kneeled down, and placed a hand on Videl's tense shoulder. She smiled at the girl in front of her, and helped her to her feet. Gloved hands took a hold of Bulma's forearms for support. She was helped to the chair in the corner, the two women staring at her with determined eyes.

"I think it's time we told her, Chi Chi." Bulma looked toward Chi Chi, who nodded; her cheeks were stained with tears, her eyes red from her sobbing.

It was going to be one heck of a day, indeed.

**End of Chapter Two**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: **Usual Disclaimer, everyone. I don't own Dragonball Z or the characters. They're all copyrighted to Akira Toriyama.

**Chapter Three**

"So, is it true," Videl's forehead dipped into her gloved palms as she placed her elbows on the top of her thighs, sitting in the chair that was in the corner of the room. The girl felt a bit dizzy; she had never seen Gohan act that coldly before. Was the Gohan that she had known all through high school a big fake? The Gohan she loved to be around, had fun with; it was all a lie? The thought sent a chill down her spine. Bulma made her way across the room from Chi Chi over to the confused girl, smoothing out the twin pig tails that she displayed almost proudly. "Did Gohan really defeat Cell?" Videl lifted her head to stare at the aqua haired woman standing over her. A sigh came from the genius, a small nod coming from her.

"Unable to defeat Gohan, Cell caused himself to explode with a force so powerful it would've destroyed the Earth. Gohan's father teleported himself and Cell to the planet of King Kai, in hopes of diverting the danger away from Earth. However," Bulma clenched her fists at her sides, the daughter of Satan tilting her head to glance up at the expression on the woman's face. "His efforts to keep Cell away from Earth were only in vain. It was up to Gohan to defeat the ogre alone; he had to let go of the kindness in his heart, the mercy he had for other living beings had to be washed away." It looked like Videl had fallen into a daze, cerulean eyes staring blanking at the woman above her. The aqua haired genius leaning the girl against her shoulder to revive her senses.

"His father sacrificed his life for Earth," The teenage girl observed, subconsciously leaning her cheek into Bulma's shoulder. Her hands were clenched slightly in her lap. "Shouldn't Gohan feel proud of his father? That's the most noble thing I've ever heard anyone do for the safety of their planet," She continued, reluctantly pulling her head away from the comfortable shoulder she was leaning against. "I can understand that he misses his father dearly, but isn't it a little much to blame himself for his death? He was willing to risk his life for everyone here!" She saw Bulma shake her head, the girl furrowing her brows at the older woman. Bulma continued to stroke the teenager's pig tails glancing towards Chi Chi, who had cried herself to sleep moments after Gohan departed from the room.

"During the fight, Goku repeated to his son several times to finish off Cell. He knew very well that Gohan had the strength to end the battle, but Gohan was reluctant to finish the job. Goku took it upon himself to take Cell down himself," Bulma continued her explanation, going over to the sleeping mother; she adjusted the sheets a bit, and sat down in the chair next to the bed. "After realizing that his father risked his own life when he could've prevented it from happening, something happened within him. He just hasn't been the same since his father died," Her eyes shifted towards the girl in the corner, who sat up timidly in her chair. "He had apparently believed that it was his fault that Goku made that rash decision. Imagine losing one parent, then losing the other to their own hand." Videl's heart sank suddenly; it felt as if an arrow had been shot through her chest.

The teenage girl shot up to her feet, her fists clenched tightly at her sides; her face was scrunched up in a cluster of emotions. Without responding to Bulma, she started to march out of the room; cerulean eyes bearing the fire that burned within her heart. She stomped her feet as she made her way out of the room and down the corridor that led to the lobby. She was marching with a purpose.

- - - - - - - - - -

In the lobby, the two little ones were playing with toy cars that were stowed away in the play area of the room. Vegeta was silently reading one of his many martial art magazines he had snuck onto the ambulance. The Demi-Saiya-jin wasn't far from the rest of the group; he looked as if he were trying to hide himself in the corner. He kept an eye on Goten and Trunks, who were happily playing together; Trunks managed to crash his car into Goten's making an explosion sound effect, sending the two children into a fit of giggles.

"Hey! No fair! How come **my** car is always the one that explodes!" Goten protested, furrowing his brows at his purple haired friend. Trunks stuck his tongue out, laughing at Goten's complaints. He didn't respond to him, resuming to roll his car around on the carpet and rolling it over the make-shift jumps they made out of the magazines and books that were there. Goten pouted for a bit, then mischeviously smirked. He took his car, and made a siren-like hum as he raced his car across the floor towards Trunks'.

"The super tech team super charged my car! Ha! Now I can go twice as fast as you!" The purple haired boy laughed while Goten stood up on his feet and posed triumphantly. The little one didn't realize that his car was open to attack; Trunks took the opprtunity to knock Goten's car to the other side of the jumps they had made. He made another sound effect through his lips, much like an explosion.

"Yeah, twice as fast to your death!" Suddenly, Trunks expelled a small amount of ki from his palm; the plastic shell of the car in his palm had melted. He grinned mischeviously, and rolled the damaged car towards his younger companion. Goten picked the car up, dangling it by a small strand of plastic that stuck out from the tail of the car. This sent a chuckle through Vegeta's teeth as he watched the two from the corner of his eye, Trunks turned his head noticing the acknowledgement from his father. The purple haired boy heard a growl rumble through the throat of his friend. Before Trunks could turn his attention back to Goten, his shoulders were pinned to the ground.

Luckily, Gohan had been watching the whole time; and made his way over to the children that wrestled relentlessly on the floor. Vegeta payed no attention to their little struggle, since the two kids fought with each other daily. The Demi-Sayia-jin went over to his younger brother and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck to pry him off of Trunks. Before he could lift Goten off of Trunks, he was acquainted with a brutal slap to the face, the impact nearly sending the half breed to his rear. Reeling back to his feet, his hand came up to rub at his newly formed wound; it was an imprint of a female's hand. His vision returned after his momentary blindness due to the slap, onyx orbs staring straight into an ocean of cerulean blues. The two children who were struggling with each other stopped in their tracks, marveling at the fact that Gohan was slapped that hard by anyone; they stared wide-eyed at the girl in front of him. Before Gohan could say anything in response to the slap, he suffered another slap across his opposite cheek.

"You **jerk**! How could you keep this from me! You've lied to me all these years, pretending that everything was alright! Didn't you think that I would've **understood** you!" Videl stomped her foot on the ground, pounding her fists against his chest. Gohan's hands came up to grab at her wrists to stop her pummeling, his eyes appearing much darker than before. Cerulean eyes met with the dark, almost heartless orbs that Gohan possessed; it nearly frightened her. She held her ground, her breathing heavying slightly; her wrists rolling to break free of Gohan's clutches. The Demi-Saiya-jin furrowed his brows, narrowing his eyes as he glared into the eyes of the girl in front of him. His eyes flared turquoise, his hair standing on end.

"What makes you think that a girl like **you**, daughter of the **Strongest Man on Earth**, can understand someone like me?" His voice was stern; his temper flaring, much like Vegeta's normal behavior. He released the girl's wrists, and turned towards the exit of the lobby. He stopped as he arrived at the glass door that separated the prison of the hospital's lobby and civilization; Videl had started to cry. He hit a hard point; she knew the truth about her father, the lie that he lived. All the scandals and propaganda that surrounded her; it was all just a lie. After the Tenkaichi Budoukai that her father won right before the Cell Games, he had carried the title and label of "The World's Strongest Man". Since then it was all paparazzi, the press, news reporters nearly every week to check on the status of the "World's Savior", the title that he took on after Gohan defeated Cell. He took Gohan's pride and threw it in the garbage disposal. Videl felt the urge to apologize to him for what her father did, but it would accomplish nothing.

"My mother was taken from me.. Much like your father was taken from you," She began, muffling her sobs by covering her mouth with her gloved palm. It nearly muffled her words as she spoke on to the half breed, tears rolling freely down the sides of her cheeks. "She was an innocent bystander at a bank robbery that happened a few years before the Cell Games.. I was with her, and it all happened so fast," The Demi-Saiya-jin turned his head back towards the girl, his eyes growing a bit lighter. His brows continued to furrow, the half breed approaching the girl cautiously. "She was killed in front of me.. Her blood stained the front of my shirt as she layed, dying in my arms," Videl struggled to keep her sobbing under control, her arms crossing over her chest; she rubbed her upper arms, feeling a chill that consumed her body. "She died when the ambulance finally arrived. I know what it's like to lose a parent, Gohan. I saw her die in **my arms**. And you say I can't understand someone like you?"

The half breed stood silently in front of the daughter of Satan, his eyes closing slowly as if he were in a meditative state. He sighed, and stood directly in front of her; his arms came around her shoulders as he gave her a cold embrace. He laughed cynically, looking down at her; the same eyes that frightened her were in close range. She tried to release herself from his embrace, but was trapped; his strength was phenomina. Her cheeks glowed a dark shade of crimson, her tears staining the sleeve of his shirt as he held her in place. He leaned his head down, his lips centimeters from the lobe of her ear. He spoke softly, his warm breath against her ear sending shivers down her spine.

"You know what's it like to see one of your parents die. You have no idea what it's like to **let** them die." He released her, unintentionally sending her into a blind spin; the girl ended up tripping over herself, flopping down front first into the chair that was behind her. Vegeta was next to her, continuing to read his martial arts magazine. The girl lifted herself up with what strength she had left, the feeling of being in the Demi-Saiya-jin's overwhelming her a great deal.

"What happened to the little boy that defeated Cell.. That saved the world for the people he loved?" The tears started to stream again, her hands gripping the edge of the chair as she forced herself to stand. Her reddened eyes narrowed as she stared at the half breed, who looked as emotionless as ever. "The Gohan that I was **suppose** to know." Before she could turn around to face Gohan, he was already halfway through the door that led outside. She could've sworn he smiled, the mentioning of the little boy he use to be hitting a soft spot.

"I wish I knew, Videl." Gohan replied.

And then he was gone.

**End of Chapter Three**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Videl let out a puff of air when she stirred in her seat next to Vegeta. The incident with Gohan sent small aches of pain through her chest. A gloved hand came up to wipe the sweat off of her brow, the opposite hand lifted up to dry away the remaining tears that she shed. Vegeta took a glance at the shaken girl, sifting out his magazine in amusement.

"It is not a very wise decision to pursue a Saiya-jin when they are in a traumatized state like the brat is. Nothing good can come from it. I suggest you stay away from him while you still can," Vegeta mused, onyx hues staring sternly at the girl to his side. The Saiya-jin prince set his magazine down, realizing that Gohan had left the area; it was up to him to keep the children in line, now. However, Goten and Trunks were still staring at Videl in amazement; they had never seen anyone slap Gohan like that before, not even Chi Chi. They sat cross-legged, their eyes darting from teenager to Vegeta. "Otherwise you'll end up having the same fate as your mother." A balled up fist launched itself to the side of Vegeta's face, but his palm came up to stop the punch with ease. Realizing her predicament, the girl calmed down; she placed both hands in the center of her lap.

"Did everyone else notice the change in Gohan," The girl undid her pig tails and took out a rubber band from her pocket, adjusting her hair into a single pony tail. She took of her gloves, staring at her moist palms. "Or were they manipulated like I was, believing that everything was okay with him?" Cerulean eyes never left the man's face that stood next to her. Vegeta looked horrendously monotonous, masking the emotions that he had for the spawn of Goku; he felt sympathy for the struggling teenager but had confidence in his mental strength, much like everyone else.

"If the way he was acting seemed normal to a girl like yourself, you were fooled like all the ignorant humans on this planet," She raised a brow at the Saiya-jin sitting next to her, trying to think of something to say in response. Instead, she gave him a slight nod and gestured for him to continue. "The people that've known him knew vaguely what troubled him; most thought it was your father stealing the credit for saving Earth. Hell, **everyone** was pissed off about that; but no one said anything about it," Videl nodded again, another ache shooting through her chest. Her head lowered when he continued. "It was a matter of time before the boy snapped. It took seven years of lying to everyone and himself." Foot steps were heard from behind the two children, the two turning around to find the figure of Vegeta's wife.

"Where's the kid, Vegeta?" Bulma took the seat next to Videl, who noticed the girl's condition. The aqua haired woman's expression fell when she took a good glance at her, a hand slipped towards the back of the seat to rub at the teenager's back to comfort her. Vegeta grunted a bit, and nodded his head towards the door on the other end of the room where Gohan had exited through. She turned her attention to the girl at her side, who had her chin in her palms again; her gloves were off, revealing her pale hands. Videl had started to cry once more, her body shivering slightly. The aqua haired genius frowned and leaned the girl against her shoulder, who started to sob as violently as before. Goten and Trunks cautiously creeped up towards Bulma and Videl, their heads tilted in the same direction as they looked up towards the blue haired woman.

"Mom, what's wrong with her? I saw her arguing with Gohan, and then she.." The purple haired boy was hushed by an index finger pressed against his lips. He furrowed his brows, and crossed his arms while giving her a childish glare. Goten climbed onto the remaining space of the chair that Videl sat in, and wrapped his small arms around the larger girl in front of him. Bulma cooed at the little one hugging the older girl, and patted his head with her free hand.

"Aw, Goten. Why're you doing that?" She continued to coo at him, wiping away the tears that stained Videl's crimson cheeks. Goten released his embrace around the girl he shared the chair with, and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. Videl curled her knees up as best as she could, almost in a fetal position as she buried her face in the older woman's shoulder. Her shivering and shuddering calmed down slightly, her sobbing dying down as well. Goten stood up on the chair, staring at Bulma; he almost looked as stern as his mother when she was angry.

"Mom always told me to give someone a hug whenever you see them cry," He stated, lifting up a finger as he spoke. His expression dropped as well, looking towards the hallway that led to his mother's room. "She cried a lot whenever she thought of dad, so I had to hug her when Gohan wasn't around to do it. I had to do it a lot." The aqua haired woman nodded, and stroked the stray hairs away from Videl's tear stained face. Bulma heard the girl in her arms mumble something, and leaned her ear down to take a listen.

"What is it, sweetie?" The woman's motherly insticts took over, her hand gently cupping the girl's face to get her to look up at her. Cerulean eyes stared at each other, the alqua haired genius trying to study the expression on Videl's face. More tears rolled down the teenagers cheek as she tried to speak, her voice was lost; she tried her best efforts to find it, only to let out a small whisper. Even Vegeta could hear her; it was relatively quiet in the room, so it wasn't hard to hear her almost inaudible voice.

"_I can't leave him alone,"_ The girl managed to choke out, her eyes darting around; she needed to find Gohan, but didn't have a clue where to start looking. Her instincts told her that he wasn't far; she had a feeling that he had no where else to go but the hospital. Her decision to follow the boy she considered her closest friend sent a wave of anger through Vegeta; he let the girl know of his temper by letting a growl rumble through his throat. "_I .. I can't._"

"Didn't you hear me before, you ignorant twit!" He lifted a fist up, turning his head towards the girl in the other seat. "In the state of mind he is in now, you can only wait it out!" Suddenly, he relaxed; he grabbed his magazine and started flipping through the pages once more. Bulma gave Vegeta a dirty look, wondering how he managed to sneak the martial arts magazine into the hospital. Her angered expression dropped when Vegeta's temper immediately cooled down, he almost sounded sympathetic for the girl; even fatherly. "A Saiya-jin is extremely stubborn, and will always be protective of their pride. I forbid you to go near him when you are on such terms with him, girl. You may not like it now, but give the brat time. He'll choose the time to come back." Bulma's eyes widened when he spoke, a devilish smirk danced along her lips when she responded to him.

"Well, look who deserves the 'Father of the Year' award," She teased him, snickering softly. Vegeta replied to her teasing by giving her a smug grin, laughing slightly. The two children stared at the three stationed on the set of chairs, then looked at each other; they shrugged simultaneously. "I'm impressed!" Bulma finished, looking down to observe the girl's condition in her arms. Videl had calmed down a great deal, giving the little boy standing next to her a chance to hunch over her to rub his cheek against hers. This brought a smile to the teenage girl's face.

"I can be as fatherly as I want; whenever I want, woman," Vegeta stood up, and went down the hall way towards the restrooms. By the time he came back, Goten and Trunks were wrestling on the floor again. He picked both children up by the scruff of their necks and sat them both down in the chair next to the one he sat in. "That's it, both of you are in time out for the rest of the day. I don't want to hear another word from the both of you."

A laugh came from Videl; it was the first time she laughed the whole day.

- - - - - - - - - -

_Meanwhile. . ._

The Demi-Saiya-jin cursed himself under his breath, kicking a stone into the street. He growled softly through his throat, looking on to the traffic of the city. The half breed took a glance down at his shirt, still stained with his own blood from the events of before. Another growl came from the teenage boy as he tore off the blood stained sleeve from his shirt. Both arms were exposed to the air, the bandages on his right wrist were loose; he ripped them off, grimacing as his wound was exposed to the air. Onyx orbs stared at the wound, remembering the events that occured before meeting Videl that morning.

_"Gohan, you're too up-tight. You need a way to take your mind off of everything," He was approached by a fellow classmate in the men's restroom. Gohan raised a brow at the boy that stood next to him near the mirrors of the restroom."You want to know what I do to get my mind off of everything and relax?" The other boy tilted his head, crimson eyes staring up at the Demi-Saiya-jin mischeviously. Gohan proceeded to wash his hands, keeping himself quiet. He lifted his head, taking a glance to the other boy._

_"Enlighten me, why don't you. And who are you to judge me? I don't have any other friends besides Videl Satan." The other boy smirked, and pulled an object from his pocket. The half breed was unsure what it was, the other boy tossing it into the air and catching it a few times like a softball. His brows furrowed, his eyes narrowing as he started to glare at the boy in front of him. This was beginning to get annoying, the Demi-Saiya-jin beginning to walk towards the exit of the restroom._

_"This is high school, Gohan. If you want to fit in with everyone else, you have to learn how to relax! Now," A sinister grin emitted from the boy in front of him, who pressed a button on the object he was holding. A glint of light came from the object; it was a pocket knife! It sent a shiver down Gohan's spine. "Give me your arm." He stared at the knife in the other boy's hand, starting to back away slightly; he could not exert any of his true strength at school, otherwise everyone would find out his alternate identity. He was eventually cornered in one of the bathroom stalls, his breathing starting to heavy greatly._

_Before he could do anything to resist the force of his classmate, his right wrist was lacerated. Blood spurted from his wound as he started to struggle with the classmate that pinned him to the stall. During the struggle, the blade managed to grace the skin of his stomach; it left a gash wider than the one on his wrist. Gohan suddenly swept his foot underneath the legs of the classmate assaulting him. The boy doubled backwards and banged his head against the metal bar that stood about the toilet. Without checking on the condition of his fellow classmate, Gohan burst out of the restroom; he ran as fast as he could towards the opposite end of the corridor._

The half breed slumped down against the pillar he was leaning against. The clouds were accumulating, blanketing over the sky; it started to rain heavily. The crowds of people that passed by took short glances down at Gohan, asking him if everything was alright. The Demi-Saiya-jin didn't respond to them, looking up at the clouds that haunted West City. He stood up on his feet, starting to walk towards the hospital; he continued to look up at the sky, the rain stinging his skin lightly as he walked unprotected from it.

"_Do you hate me for letting you die, father.._"

It was going to be a long walk back to the hospital.

- - - - - - - - - -

_"Gohan..?" It was cold out, the breeze sending shivers down the girl's spine. The area seemed desolate, a fog casting over the ares; it made it hard to navigate through wherever she was. The daughter of Satan pushed through the fog, approaching the silhouette visible beyond the fog._

_"I told you to stay away. You're nothing but a stubborn girl." The voice was dark, barely audible. The silhouette suddenly disperesed, looking as it it dashed off to the girl's right side. A gasp came from the girl as a pair of arms draped around her shoulders. She tried to break free of the hold. _

_"Where is he," Another gasp came from Videl, her cheeks growing hot with frustration. This **thing** holding her was starting to get on her nerves. An elbow managed to break free; she jabbed it into the figure's side and staggered backwards. Unfortunately, she tripped; she fell onto her rear, staring up at the shadow in front of her. Her expression changed, her eyes narrowing. "Who are you!"_

_"I am everything you cherish and desire. I am your **undoing**!" There was a spark of light emitting from the figure's palms. There was a faint humming sound; the girl realized what it was doing. Regaining her composure, she got up and started to run the opposite way as fast as she could; her heart was pounding painfully in her chest. The dark figure suddenly appeared in front of her, causing her to jump backwards and fall in the opposite direction. _

_A sinister laugh echoed through the area as she continued running.._

"Gohan.." The girl was in a deep slumber, curled up against the figure who was holding her. She seemed to be having a bad dream, longing to wake up.

_"So now you're going to run, are you! Let's see you run away from **this**!" The whole area was lit up as the light flooded through the fog. It felt hot, sending burning sensations through the girl's body. The intesity of the heat grew; it felt as if she was being burned alive._

_She screamed. It was the only thing she could do._

- - - - - - - - - -

It was morning; the birds chirping melodically and the city traffic blaring through the streets signified that it was another day, another day of hell. Visiting hours were lenient, allowing family members to stay over night if they'd wish. In this case, the group decided to stay the night to make sure Chi Chi got the rest she needed. The nurses reluctantly left the lobby and the restrooms open; they had heard the daughter of the 'Great Mr. Satan' was present on the premises, so they had no choice. It was a quiet when the young girl woke up; she was in the arms of Bulma, who was wide awake and watching her. When she realized where she was, she immediately sat up and placed her hands in her lap.

"You dreamt about him, didn't you?" The aqua haired woman inquired, tilting her head to the side. She raised her hand and lifted the small amount of hair that hid the younger girl's face. Videl turned her head towards Bulma, and gave her a puzzled look. She shrugged her shoulders, and curled her knees to her chest. This brought a smile to the girl opposite from Videl, a hand coming over to go over the top of the teenage girl's.

"How did you know?" Cerulean eyes shifted to stare at the hand carressing her own. Her hands were ungloved; they felt almost ice cold. She blinked, at her predicament; a tear sliding down her cheek. She was confused, shaking her head to clear out her thoughts of the nightmare she woke up from. A chill suddenly rushed down her back as she wiped the tears away.

"I was both your age and in love at one time, y'kn--" The older woman started; suddenly Videl jerked her hand away. She furrowed her brows stubbornly.

"How **can** I love him? I don't know anything about him," A sigh came from the teenage girl, who started to rub her hands together to warm them. Her eyes stared to drift from one corner of the room to the other; another tear slipped down her cheek. It felt as if there were someone watching; Videl started to feel uneasy. "All I know is that **he** was the one who saved earth seven years ago. Am I suppose to love him just because he saved the world?" Bulma's eyes left the girl, drifting towards the opposite side of the room..

"Is that the only reason you have to love him?" The Orange Star High student looked down towards her feet, shaking her head slowly. Her cheeks suddenly flared a bright shade of crimson; the tilting of her head made it easier to hide her embarrassment. The aqua haired woman laughed a bit, noticing her cheeks growing the dark shade of red. The older woman pulled Videl into her arms and laid her head against her shoulder. "You're closer to him than any of us, Videl. You should tell him how you feel; if anyone, you should be the one to reach him."

"Gohan.." Videl mumbled, drifting back into a light sleep in the aqua haired woman's embrace.

**End of Chapter Four**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

The faint scent of rain water filled the lobby of the hospital; it was about late afternoon, and it had apparently rained again according to Videl's nose. Her eyes remained closed as the humidity seeped through the door, persperation collecting at her brows. She groaned in exhaustion, a hand coming up to wipe away the sweat at her brows. It brushed against something in front of her; it felt hard, almost rock hard. Her hand continued to feel around, coming in contact with a soft fabric that smelled of persperation. She made a face, and quickly opened her eyes to meet with those of a familiar face.

"About time you got up." She took a moment to regain her focus, the voice almost unrecognizable by the scratchiness of the tone. It almost sounded as if the person was ill in front of her. The figure in front of her suddenly took shape; dark brown hair was flattened out, the familiar bangs no longer visible. The boy in front of her was drenched from head to toe, his onyx eyes never leaving hers. The girl stood up on her feet, causing the older boy to stagger backwards. Her arms lashed out to help support his standing position, but they were brushed away. Her eyes widened when she took a moment to register why the boy she had been obsessing over looked this way.

"You were out last night and all this morning, weren't you! You're probably sick out of your **mind**! What if you have pneumonia!" Videl's cheeks flared a bright shade of crimson, the anxiety finally leaving; it was replaced by relief and anger. A hand came up to slap him across the face, but it retreated back down to her side. Instead of hitting him, she tilted her head down and let the tears she held in through the night run freely down her cheeks. "I didn't know where you were, and neither did anyone else," She was hushed by the taller boy's index finger being pressed against her lips like before.

"You worry too much, y'know that?" Droplets of persperation drained down the dangling mess of hair in front the Demi-Saiya-jin's forehead. A cough rumbled through the taller male's throat; it sounded as if a frog were lodged inside, trying to force it's way out into the outside world. Videl couldn't help but cringe at the taller one in front of her. The room felt empty; the girl hadn't noticed it when Gohan made his stealth-like arrival. Her neck jerked from one side to the other to see if there were any patients or doctors around. No one. Not even the others were around.

"Where did everyone go?" A hand came up to brush away the bangs that covered her eyes as she took a step backwards to look at her surroundings. She cringed once more, noticing that her own stench started to fill the room as well as the Demi-Saiya-jin's. The girl had an urge to plug her nose with her index finger and thumb; it made her nose twitch.

"Back to Capsule Corp. My mother was cleared to go home this morning; Bulma didn't find out until a few hours ago. You should probably go home, your father is probably looking for you." Gohan turned towards the door and started walking; he turned his head when he felt his hand being grabbed and tugged behind him weakly. Videl's hands were pale; it made Gohan's brow raise curiously. "What's with you?" He turned his head back towards the door and started to walk again. This time, Videl started to walk with him.

"Will you **wait** a second! Gohan! I'm your friend, remember! Are you just going to cut me out of your life!" The force of the smaller girl's second tug at his arm brought the Demi-Saiya-jin to his rear on the sidewalk. This rewarded her with a irritated glare from the boy who was now underneathe her. A growl rumbled through the throat of the boy, retaliating with a tug of his own. The girl stumbled forward and fell to her knees. After dusting himself off, Gohan got to his feet and spat on the ground; inches away from the daughter of Satan.

"You will only get hurt, Videl. You're better off without me." Before she could get to her feet, Gohan disappeared out of sight.

She was left alone; the truth she dreaded to believe piercing through her heart like a bow and arrow.

- - - - - - - - - -

It had started to rain once more as Videl dragged herself through the puddles that stained the city's streets. She had no place to go, really; she couldn't go back to face her father after she had learned the truth from Chi Chi and Bulma, and she wouldn't dare try and find Gohan.

She had to walk twenty miles to Capsule Corportation.

- - - - - - - - - -

Thunder had started to crack through the dark clouds that loomed over West City. Inside Capsule Corporation, everyone seemed to be settled down. Goten and Trunks were playing happily in the living room under Chi Chi's supervision; Vegeta was in the gravitation chambers on the opposite end of the property. The rain started to worsen as the hours went on, the thunder now echoing through the rooms. The blue haired genius was staring out through the window towards the street in front of the house. It looked as if she were looking for someone.

"Bulma?" Chi Chi's voice managed to find it's way across the room. "Is something the matter?" Her attention was diverted towards the two boys, who were clinging to her legs. Chi Chi cooed at them, bringing them up onto the couch to sit with her. The children huddled against Chi Chi, trembling slightly. Apparently, even the strongest kids in the universe were scared of lightning.

"The storm is getting heavier," Bulma's hand clutches at the curtains, the blinds shaking slightly as she took them into her grasp. The sky was nearly pitch black; night had fallen over the city. "They're both out there, Chi Chi." The blue haired woman leaned her head down, staring down at her feet. Trunks slipped away from Chi Chi's lap and trotted to his mother, tugging at the hem of her shirt. Bulma released the curtain, running a hand through her son's hair; a smile crept over her lips slowly. Chi Chi's eyes widened; she had forgotten about Gohan's disappearance.

Suddenly, there was a pounding at the door.

"Gohan!" Bulma lunged towards the door, and fumbled with the lock several times before she finally managed to get it unlocked. "Where have you been! I've been worried--" Bulma noticed a wet figure on the ground in front of her; the person was on both knees, arms motionless at their sides. It didn't take long for Bulma to recognize the figure in front of her. "Videl! _Kami-sama! _Get inside before you catch a cold!" Videl pulled herself into the threshold; after she closed the door behind her, she collapsed onto her side. Bulma rushed to the laundry room and returned with a large towel moments later; she helped the girl to her feet, and guided her to the couch where Chi Chi and Goten were sitting.

"He's not here, is he." A sigh came from the dark haired girl, her body collapsing to the side, her drenched head resting in Bulma's lap. After a gesture from Bulma, Chi Chi went to the laundry room to get another towel. The blue haired woman stared down at Videl, rubbing the towel along her arms.

"No one has seen him all day," The older woman replied, furrowing her brows at the younger girl's appearance. Ragged, wet; had she been out in the rain for hours? "Hey, didn't you go to the hospital in your hover craft?" Videl sat up instantly, frisking her pants for her keys. When she finally managed to lift them in front of her eyes; she threw them across the living room, screaming in frustration. Bulma wrapped her arms around the girl, giggling softly.

"I hate him! I hate him! **_I HATE HIM!_**" Videl screamed at the top of her lungs; the larger woman held the girl's head against her shoulder and tried to quiet her down. She started sobbing audibly as Chi Chi returned with the second towel. The mother of the boy the girl loved stood there silently, unable to think of what to do in her position. There were no words that could provide any comfort.

There wasn't a thing in the world that could bring the boy she loved back to her.

Nothing.

- - - - - - - - - -

"_Gohan._" The Demi Saiya-jin stirred in his sleep. He had return to the outskirts of West City; not far from the training ground Piccolo trained him when he was a few years younger. His sides started to cramp; it was time to get up. The storm had subsided; the half breed smelled of rain and persperation. It wasn't pleasant; but it seemed normal for any male.

"_It's okay, Gohan._" Gohan shot up into a sitting position, looking around him; his eyes darted every direction. The voice; it was gentle. Reassuring. Something that Gohan had forgotten long ago. The guilt had taken him over like a demon. A demon that wouldn't accept it's demise. "_The world has been safe for a while, hasn't it? So, why don't you live happily? I'll come back. Some day._"

"Shut up, _shut up,_" The boy stood up on his feet. "Stop trying to be the nice guy, dad! You know you're angry at me! You always have been! You could've been here if it weren't for me!" A white aura surrounded the boy as his energy levels rose; several pebbles rising off the ground around him. "Stop lying to me!" His hair flared a golden color; his eyes flickering to their familiar shade turqouise, reverting back to onyx moments later.

"_You're a good boy, Gohan. Go home. I'll **really** have to kick your butt when I return, if you don't._"

"Switch places with me. Then I'll be happy." A sigh came from the Demi Saiya-jin as he started to walk towards the city.

"_If I did that, your mother would kill me! You know that better than I do._"

He started at a dash, then leapt into the air; he concentrated his energy to push him further into the wind. For the first time in two days, the half breed was headed towards a place that he called "home."

- - - - - - - - - -

The living room was a catastrophy; toy cars scatterd everywhere, countless amounts of magazines cluttered on the side of the couch that wasn't occupied. Vegeta returned from the gravitation chambers shortly after Videl arrived; he took notice of the mess in the living room, simply shrugging it off. The boys were put to bed by Chi Chi at this time of night; it was pointless to wake them up to pick up their toys. The Saiya-jin went to the window, his brows furrowed as he gazed outside into the garden. A snarl came from his throat. Something-- or someone --was headed straight for Capsule Corp.

"Woman. Make sure the children are safe in the back room," Came from the back of Vegeta's throat. He looked towards the kitchen; Bulma peeked through the door that led to the living room. "A strange energy is headed this way." His expression was stern, as he warned his wife. Too exhausted to argue, the woman nodded and slipped off towards the back room where Goten and Trunks were. They were fast asleep. When the blue haired woman made her way back to the living room, the front door was wide open; Vegeta was standing out on the front porch, the bothered look on his face remained.

"What is it--"

"Go inside." The full breed barked, his eyes scanning the garden carefully. The energy he felt was in range; it was moving slowly towards the entrance of the living quarters. The Saiya-jin's eyes stared straight ahead; his eyes narrowed when he realized who it was. A growl came from Vegeta once more, causing Bulma to look out into the garden as well. A gasp came from her when the figure came into the light. She started at a dash; Vegeta held her back.

"Go inside _now_, Bulma," It was the first time Vegeta had addressed his wife by her first name since the birth of their son. All the woman could do was stand there, staring at the teenager in front of her. "The boy is not himself. There is a disturbance in his energy." Gohan spat on the ground to the side of him. Reluctantly, Bulma went inside; she never looked back to the boy she grew to love as if he were her own.

"I don't think there's a disturbance in my energy. I have no idea what you're talking about, Vegeta." Gohan smirked, taking a few steps towards his father's rival. The full-breeded Saiya-jin readied himself, his eyes never straying away from the Demi Saiya-jin in front of him. Gohan stood in front of him, almost laughing. His expression dropped completely, his lips curving into a weak smile. "My dad told me to go home, so here I am. I'm home!"

"Kakarotto did, huh?" Vegeta almost laughed as well; he certainly didn't believe the younger Saiya-jin that stood in front of him. A mischeivious smirk danced along the full-breed's face; Vegeta's playfull expression suddenly turned dark, almost evil-like. He hesitated at first, but went on with the thoughts running through the back of his mind. "Go home to a family that cares." Gohan's brow raised.

"You're the only family I've got." The half-breed answered.

"You've brought _nothing_ good into this family, so there is no need for your presence. All you are is a waste of space. Your life is meaningless, half-breed. All of us are better off without you. Especially your _prescious_ mate." Vegeta rambled; his voice as stern as possible. "She hates you, now. Did you know that? As the rest of us do." Gohan's eyes widened, causing Vegeta's smirk to widen in triumph. The Demi Saiya-jin shook his head, clenching his fists; a growl came from his throat. He lifted his head up, giving the other a cold glare.

"Stop," Gohan was riled up; he was starting to get angry with someone else, other than himself. His legs parted slightly as he got into a fighting stance, his brows furrowing as Vegeta continued on with the insults. The Demi Saiya-jin knew very well that Vegeta was throwing insults at him to make him angry; but what if it were all true. "**_Stop!_** The world wouldn't even _exist_ now if it weren't for me!" He screamed, his muscles tensing up; his hair flashed golden, his onyx orbs became a vibrant shade of turquoise. It only made Vegeta smirk; his plan was working.

"Look what it cost everyone! Especially your mother, and your brother. _Where_ is Kakarotto?" Vegeta spat on the ground in front of Gohan; the full-breed's temper seemed to be rising as well. Gohan lunged at Vegeta, throwing a punch directly to his face. However, Vegeta easily blocked it; he squeezed the half-breed's fist in his own; the grip making the younger Saiya-jin wince. "Oh! I remember now! He's _dead_, isn't he?" A sinister laugh came from the older male. Gohan let out another scream as the aura that surrounded him grew twice in size. The wood underneath the two Saiya-jin's started to crack, bits and pieces of the splintering wood burned up when they made contact with the half-breed's energy field."Isn't it _your_ fault he died!" Vegeta screamed; another sinister laugh came from him.

Suddenly the door of the main living quarters flew open; debris flying into the house. Gohan wouldn't let up; his energy kept rising, golden hair standing on edge. His screams were heard into the house; perhaps the whole city could have heard him. Within seconds, the entire family came out to the front porch, adverting themselves away from the flying debris as best as they could. Their screams couldn't be heard through the rumbling of the pourch, the chaos that Gohan was creating.

"It's _not_my fault!" The boy screamed, electricity emitting from the large golden aura that engulfed his entire being. His energy rose dramatically, his muscles tensing up even more. It was like his father's Kaio-ken attack; except at this rate, Gohan would destroy his body. He didn't care. He didn't care at all. "Stop it! **_I HATE YOU ALL _**!" At long last, the golden hair reverted back to it's jet black color, his eyes returning to normal. It seemed like it was in slow motion; Gohan collapsed, his entire body fell limp. Luckily, Vegeta was there to keep him up. After a few moments of catching his breath, Vegeta started to drag the younger boy's limp body towards the living quarters.

"What the hell was that, Vegeta!" Bulma barked, rearing her fist back to slap her husband in the face. The Saiya-jin ignored her question, hoisting the fallen boy over his shoulder. The destruction of the porch seemed to be unoticed; everyone else huddled around Vegeta when he entered the house with Gohan. Eventually; all of the family arrived at the rejuvination tanks that were right near the gravitation chambers. With the help of Bulma, Vegeta hooked Gohan up to the vitality monitors. Afterwards, Vegeta punched a few keys; the tank started to fill with a turquoise liquid.

"He should be healed by morning," The full-blooded Saiya-jin muttered, scratching behind his head as he sighed. Videl went up to the glass of the tank, placing an ungloved hand on it. Vegeta stared at her, and shook his head. "I order all of you to not come in this room until it is time for him to be released. Do you understand?" After scanning the room full of heads for nods, Vegeta made his way towards the master bedroom.

"_That took guts, but it worked_." Vegeta mocked himself. Who needed guts when you're the self-proclaimed strongest Saiya-jin in all the known universe?.

Videl continued staring into the glass, the tears building in her eyes. She looked down at her feet, letting the tears fall freely. The rest of the family went to their rooms as well; except for Bulma, who looked on with concern.

"I forgive you for acting this way, Gohan," Bulma went to her, wrapping her arms around the younger girl. "But I .. I can't forgive you for not forgiving yourself!" She fell to her knees, crying audibly. Bulma helped her up, guiding her to the bedroom that was closest to the chambers. After laying the young girl down on the bed, Bulma pulled a chair up to the bed side. The dark haired girl took a hold of the older woman's hand and squeezed as best she could. She was emotionally and physically weak; like the rest of the family had been during the last few days. It brought a smile to the genius' face; she squeezed Videl's hand in return.

The poor girl held onto Bulma's hand for the rest of the night; her tears staining the pillow she slept on.

**End Chapter 5**

**Author's Note(s):** This is the chapter that I ended on previously (I'm not too proud of the way it ends, though.). After this chapter; everything will be new! Thanks for reading this far! I hope you've enjoyed it!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Notes:** I don't really know how Sharpner and Ereza act; so I'm just going to wing it when their scene comes about. Hope you like this new chapter! Review to your heart's content! Thank you for the encouragement, everyone!

**Chapter 6**

The minutes seemed like hours; the hours seemed like forever. Finally, morning came. Bulma woke up with her head resting against the side of the bed where Videl was sleep; when she opened her eyes, she discovered that Videl was nowhere i sight. The panic-stricken woman shot up out of her chair and rushed towards the rejuvination room. The entire family was in the room; including Vegeta. They were crowded around the tank that the half-breed was concealed in. It wasn't Gohan's progress they were looking over; a note was taped in front of the boy's face.

The blue haired genius nearly toppled over herself as she rushed through to look at the note; she ripped the note off of the glass of the rejuvination tank. She let out a sigh of relief as she read the letter to herself.

_Everyone,_

_There are no words in the world that can describe how much I need to thank you for your hospitality and care you've given me. You all have shown me what it truly is like to have a family. There is one reality I must face which I've been running from for the last few days: My father._

_I'll let Gohan's teachers know he's ill, and not able to come to class._

_Don't worry about me. I'll be fine._

_Thank you, and I'll see you soon._

_-- Videl._

"So. The girl is going to confront her father," Vegeta punched in a few keys on the keyboard that was connected to the rejuvination tank. After the tank had been emptied of the turquoise liquid, the glass door opened. "You had better go with her, woman." The Saiya-jin climbed into the tank, unhooking the unconscious teenager from the vitality monitors. Bulma stared at her husband in a bewildered manner.

"Why?" She inquired, tilting her head to the side.

"To make sure she doesn't kill him." He smirked at his wife, laughing heartily.

Bulma rolled her eyes, and went to retrive a towel for the boy.

At least he was right.

- - - - - - - - - -

"Well, that's shocking! The boy always seem to be in great condition. But, since you're the daughter of our savior, Mr. Satan, I'll take your word for it. You may sit down." The girl grimaced as the professor labeled her father as the world's "savior." She made her way to her usual spot; Sharpner and Erazer. The both oth them noticed a change in Videl. She no longer had that cocky, arrogant smile whenever her father's name was mentioned.

"Hey, Videl," Ereza tapped her right shoulder, a look of concern on her face. "Is something wrong? You look a little sick, yourself." Videl brushed her hand away, and stared at the white board in front of the room. After getting no response from her friend, Ereza gave a sharp nudge to Sharpner's side. The blonde teen sat forward in his seat, giving Videl wink.

"C'mon, Videl. You always have this great, big smile on your face whenever anyone mentions your father. He's the savior of the worl--" Videl slammed her hands against the desk in front of her. She stood up on her feet, lifting up her head to scan the room; every head in the room turned and stared at her.

Perfect.

"Videl, is there something you would like to tell the class?" The professor looked up to the seats near the top of the room.

"My father," She began, the tears starting to build up in her eyes. "Is _not_ the Earth's savior. He never has been. He never _will_ be!" She let the tears fall freely, letting the pony tail she wore down. The students started to talk amongst themselves; most of them wouldn't believe her, even if she was the daughter of the Great Mr. Satan. "Do you want to know who _really_ saved the Earth from that bastard, Cell! _Huh_!" She screamed, causing several students that were walking down the corridor outside of the classroom to peek inside.

"Now, Videl, we _all_know that your father won the last Tenkaichi Budokai. There's no doubt that he save--" One classmate rambled.

"_Gohan_ saved the world," She continued, walking down the stairs towards the exit of the classroom. "If you don't believe me, that's fine. Live under the pathetic lies my father continues to feed you. It makes you all the scum of the human race like _he_ is!" She left the room, wiping away the tears of humiliation she shed. For the first time in her entire life, she felt ashamed of who she was.

"Where is the proof, Videl! What makes you think we'll believe fiction over fact!" Another student shouted over the clamoring crowd. The girl turned around, presenting them with her middle finger.

"Did any of you ask my father if he really saved the world," She held up her finger proudly, making sure everyone-- including her dumbfounded professor --could see it. "Or did you believe all the tabloids and news reports with _false_ information?"

No one said anything.

"That's what I thought." She breathed. And then she was gone.

- - - - - - - - - -

After walking out of the corridor that led to the lobby, she went outside; parked at the curb was a familiar vehicle, and a familiar face. Videl's head suddenly hung low as she approached the older woman. She stood in front of the woman, and spoke softly, her voice hoarse.

"I told them the truth," The teenager spoke up, lifting her head to look up at Bulma's face. Her expression didn't change; a hand came to pat on the girl's head. "I don't think they believe me, though." Videl leaned her head against the taller woman's shoulder. Bulma's arms wrapped around the girl's shoulders as she held her close.

"Now comes the hard part," The genius added. "Your father."

As they got into the car; the blue haired woman noticed two students running out of the main lobby. The male seemed to have a hard time keeping up with his female companion. When they finally reached the car, Bulma rolled down her window; she stared at the two kids akwardly. Videl didn't turn her head to face her two friends. She stared straight ahead; she looked impatient.

"Videl!" The male huffed, trying to catch his breath. The girl looked down at him in disbelief, she placed her hands on her hips and giggled heartily. "We just wanted to say--"

"How out of shape you are, Sharpner," Ereza joked. After Sharpner caught his breath, he gave Ereza a sharp nudge to her side. The teenager inside the glanced outside of Bulma's window, but couldn't make eye contact. "We just wanted to say--" Ereza was cut off by her male companion this time.

"That we believe you!" Both of them gave her a cheerful thumbs up with ear-to-ear smiles. The dark haired girl smiled as best she could and waved at them. The older woman grinned and gave the other teens a thumbs up as well. "We knew it from the start, anyways!" As Bulma pulled the car away from the parking lot, Videl put her head out of the window, looking back at her two friends.

"Well, at least you got through to the people at your school that matter the most, right?" The genius inquired as the other girl seated and buckled herself back into her seat. Videl placed her hands in her lap, and nodded; she almost looked embarrassed.

"Yeah." Videl replied, her gaze cemented on her lap.

- - - - - - - - - -

"You want me to _what_!" The self-proclaimed 'World Champion' demanded, his expression priceless; the blue haired genius standing behind the teenage girl looked shocked as well. The dark haired girl stood her ground firmly, and raised her index finger to point at him. Her brows furrowed.

"I told you. I want you to disown me," Videl repeated, placing her hands at her side. She looked towards the ground, almost in a depressed manner. Her eyes shifted, glaring at her father. Her heart was pounding against her throat; it felt like it was getting harder to breathe. "You've never been a good parent to me, and you've been _lying_ to me all these years! Did you think you could keep this charade going on forever! What would," She let out a muffled cry of anger, closing her eyes tightly. "What would _mom_ think!"

Her father was left speechless, his head hanging low. Bulma looked on in shock; but she wasn't suprised that Videl would pull something like this. The genius wanted to say something to counter Videl's demands, but she couldn't find her tongue. The teenager crossed her arms, turning towards the woman behind her.

"You didn't even notice I was gone," The girl walked past the blue haired genius without looking back. "Did you?" She stopped and closed her eyes; she knew very well what the answer was. When the room was silent, she heard a television from the other room. It was one of the many martial arts tapes that Mr. Satan had; of himself, winning. She gritted her teeth, and continued walking towards the courtyard.

"Of course I did! I was worried .. sick .. about you." As his sentence dragged on, the man's head lowered; it made Bulma's stomach churn. The genius shook her head in disgust, and started to follow Videl out of the door. The broken hearted man fell to his knees, outstretching a hand towards the woman that was walking away with his daughter. "Please! Don't take her away from me. She's all I've got. I'm nothing without my little girl!" It made Bulma stop in her tracks, she looked back at him with guilt in her eyes.

"She's grown up, Satan," She looked towards her feel; even the greatest genius in the known universe could still feel guilty about how she felt. She looked up towards him moments later. "Do you even know the name of the boy she's grown to love? Or recall that _he_ was the one to save the world?" She bowed slightly, and walked off in the other direction after Videl.

The self proclaimed 'World Champion' was left at his knees, wallowing in his own self-pity.

The worst part was; his daughter and her friend were both correct.

- - - - - - - - - -

Outside, Bulma stood next to Videl; the teenager was staring at the fountain, her fists clenched at her sides. The blue haired genius placed an arm around the younger girl's shoulder, squeezing it gently. The dark haired girl's hand came up, sliding over the older woman's hand.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Haven't been more sure of anything in my entire life."

"You think he'll change after this?"

"I doubt it. The only person that matters to him is himself," The younger girl's grip on Bulma's hand tightened. "You've been more of a parent in these last few days than he's ever been."

"Very flattering," Bulma replied, ruffling the shorter girl's hair playfully. "What're you trying to do, have me--" Suddenly the light bulb in the genius' head flickered, then lit up. "Wait a minute!" Before she could voice her idea to the girl next to her, she was a few meters behind Videl; she was walking towards the car. She had to trot to catch up to the fiesty teen. Seconds later, she took a hold of Videl's shoulder and spun her around; ending up face to face with her.

"What!" Videl crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently.

"This isn't some kind of ploy," The younger girl's eyes widened in 'shock' as she heard the woman in front of her speak; Videl placed a hand over her mouth, giving a fake gasp. "To trick me into adopting you, is it?" Bulma lifted her hand and wagged a finger in the younger girl's face. Videl narrowed her eyes playfully and nipped at Bulma's finger.

"Now _what_ would give you that idea?" Videl folded her hands behind her back, trying to give the blue haired genius an innocent look. Bulma rolled her eyes, turning the girl around and opening the passenger door. The both of them laughed, and got seated in the car. "That's not important, right now."

"You're such a kidder." Bulma turned the key in the ignition, starting the car; the engine roared loudly as the genius shifted the vehicle into gear. As they pulled into traffic, the video phone rang. The blue haired woman blinked several times, appalled at the phone ringing. "That's odd. No one usually calls unless it's an emergency, or something like that." She pressed the answer button on the dash board, which turned on the microphone on top of the display screen. The picture was fuzzy at first, but it cleared up after a few seconds.

... Vegeta?

"_Don't think I'm calling you because it's an emergency--_" He began, not making eye contact with the screen in front of him.

"Wait, how do you know this number, anyways?" Bulma blinked several times more, rubbing her chin. The only two people that knew the phone number for the Capsule Corporation car was Chi Chi and, Kami-sama forbid, her parents.

"_The brat's mother made me call. That vile woman has been asking me to call you all day for the pipsqueak girl you're with-- She nearly killed me!_" The Saiya-jin barked, his brows furrowing slightly. "_Come home this instant, woman! Now I understand why that imbecile Kakarotto chose death over living; his mate is even more psychotic than you!" _Before the Saiya-jin could say anymore, he was bombarded with frying pans. He couldn't even make a run for it!

_"Stay down, will you!_" The picture on the display went to static for a few seconds, before reappearing with Chi Chi hunched over the Saiya-jin, whacking him over the head with a frying pan several times. "_I'll show you vile woman! Take that! And that! And-- Oh! Hi, Bulma!_" For a woman at Chi Chi's age, it was amazing to see her move that fast! "_Is Videl there, by any chance?_" And the beating continued.

"Yes, I'm here," The teenager replied in between giggles. "I think you're really going to kill him if you don't stop, though!"

"_Good! Maybe he can join Goku!_" After one last whack, Vegeta retreated into the living room; Goten and Trunks were clearing up the mess they made the night before. "_I swear! Men don't have an ounce of responsibility these--_"

"Chi Chi! Will you get to the point! We're almost there, y'know!" Bulma barked; almost achieving the tone that her husband took with her moments earlier.

"_Oh! Right! Gohan woke up after you left, Bulma!_" Chi Chi's gleeful expression suddenly turned mournful, her eyes closed halfway; tears seemed to form at the corner of her eyes. "_Except.. He doesn't look all that well," _Her eyes stared up at the screen, as if she were looking directly at the teenage passenger in the car. It made Videl's heart jump several times; her cheeks grew warm. "_He's been sleeping ever since, tossing and turning in the bed. I'm starting to get a little worried. Come home soon._" After a forced smile, Chi Chi closed the connection. Videl brought her legs up onto the car seat, staring at the blank display. A troubled sigh came from the girl.

"Want me to step on it, kiddo?" Came from the teenager's driver, who had placed a hand on her left shoulder.

The look in the girl's eyes answered the older woman's question; Bulma pressed her foot on the gas.

**End Chapter 6**

**Author's Note(s): **The last scene is probably the funniest part of any fan fic I've ever written. Poor Vegeta, huh? Maybe he'll get his revenge next chapter. Heheh. Read and Review! Thanks, everyone!


	7. Chapter 7

**First and foremost!**

HI EVERYONE!

Certainly has been a while since I've updated this story, huh? Did you guys miss me? Of course you did!

Anyway. This is just a quick "preview," of chapter seven; and I AM going to give this story a conclusion, because it deserves one. I think you readers definitely deserve to know what becomes of Gohan and Videl, and their relationship, Videl's relationship with her father, and Goku's impending return to the living world.

Yes, all of those are planned for later chapters!

Thank you for reading, and I hope to finish this chapter in the next week or two!

Thanks guys!

**-- Jan-kun**

**Author's Notes:** It certainly has been a while, hasn't it? I don't know why I stopped writing this fan fiction. Maybe because I got busy somewhere along the road in my so called "life," but that's how it always is, right?

But, one thing remains the same. I still have love for this series, and I'm certainly proud of this fan fiction after reading over it for the umpteenth time. There are parts that I need to work out, and rewrite; but let's get on with the story, right? Let's go!

**Chapter Seven**

It wasn't long before the aqua haired woman and the dark haired girl reached Capsule Corp. Videl had her hands folded in her lap, and had a far-away look in her eyes. She finally came back to reality once she felt the car slowly come to a halt in the driveway in front of the main house.

After turning off the ignition, Bulma placed a hand over the teenager's hands. The girl looked up at Bulma and sighed heavily.

"Ready, kiddo?." Bulma playfully nudged Videl's shoulder. The dark haired girl closed her eyes and nodded. When Bulma reached over to open Videl's door for her, the teenager placed her hands on Bulma's arm. The blue haired genius froze in place.

"I want to see him so badly, Bulma. But what if Vegeta was _right_? What if being near him will only cause things to worsen? And," Her grip on Bulma's arm tightened, almost making her grimace in pain. "What if.."

Videl's head lowered.

"See, now you're being a _little_ melodramatic," Bulma joked. She walked over to the opposite side of the car and opened the door. "Vegeta knows how a Saiya-jin's mind works, but he doesn't know how a human's heart works. i'm sure the kid will be glad to see you. What would he do without you?"

"I don't know what I'd do without _him_." When Videl came out of the car, she stared into the window of the living room.

Gohan was there.

It was only for a few seconds that their eyes met; for Videl, it felt like an eternity. The teenager didn't hear what the aqua haired genius said to her during those few seconds. She looked up at Bulma, and nodded.

When she looked back towards the window, he was gone.

- - -

Goten and Trunks were playing in the living room as usual, toy cars and soldiers scattered over the floor. Chi-Chi was standing near the window, holding onto one of the curtains; she looked as if she were in her own world. Moments later, Goten and Trunks were engaged in a wrestling battle much like the one they had at the hospital the day before. Chi-Chi stood by, their quarrel going unnoticed until Bulma


	8. Chapter 7 reuploaded

**Author's Notes:** I found the old version of chapter seven, so I decided to finish it. I like this a lot better, so I went with it! Sorry if it's short, and it's great to be back!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters in Dragon Ball Z, they are all © Akira Toriyama.

**Chapter Seven**

_There stood a fallen Cell in his imperfect state; moments earlier, Gohan had thrusted his knee between the villian's stomach and chest. The hit was massive; causing critical damage to Cell's abdomen. Within seconds, Cell had regurgitated Andriod 18. _

_It was finally over, everyone else had thought._

_Everyone else besides Gohan. _

_It was Cell's turn to experience the pain, anguish, and fear the Demi Saiya-jin had felt throughout the entire battle. It was __**Gohan's**__ turn to make Cell beg for mercy; rather, to beg Gohan to end his pathetic life._

_"Do it, Gohan!" The horde of Z warriors exclaimed behind him, their hopes had been rejuvinated ever since Gohan had started his fight with the monstrosity known as Cell. Even Vegeta, the proudest warrior of them all, had been cheering on the eleven year old boy; who could've thought that the strongest being in the universe was only a child? It made Vegeta sick to his stomach, but relieved at the same time. For once, he didn't have to do much to save the world, and return peace._

_Gohan dashed towards Cell, bombarding him with a fury of punches to the abdomen; the both of them lifted off the ground slightly while continuing their fight. _

_A few moments later, Cell came crashing to the ground in front of the Z warriors. His face was covered in his own saliva and blood. A gurgle came from his throat, but he could not speak. The eleven year old boy was approaching, rather calmly. _

_This was childs play to him. He could end this whenever he wanted to._

_No, Cell had to suffer. He needed to feel the way that Gohan did throughout the duration of the battle. Innocent people have died; friends were tortured for the sole purpose of provoking the eleven year old boy. _

_"Give it up, Cell. You've lost. Leave this planet now, or I'll end your pathetic life." Gohan stood still, only a few feet from Cell. He lifted one of his hands, pointing his palm towards the fallen villian. A smirk came from Cell; then maniacal laughter._

_"You __**still**__ think you can kill me?!" Within seconds, Cell's body nearly trippled in size. What the hell was he doing?! "You can't defeat me, pathetic humans! I'll take you all, and this whole planet with me to __**hell!**__" Slowly, Cell's body grew. Everyone was skeptical at first, but the size of his expanding torso started to worry them._

_"Gohan, do it __**NOW**__!!" His companions screamed. Completely baffled by the turn of events, Gohan's mind had blanked out. Perhaps he was being to proud of the strength and speed that he transcended into. Perhaps that his ego got the best of him, knowing that __**he**__ was the only person who could save the Earth at the present time. He dropped to one knee, shedding a single tear._

_He had failed everyone on this planet. It was too late. There wasn't enough time to charge an attack that would end this Kami-sama forsaken battle._

_In the distance, a plan was brewing. Within the few minutes of time left, Goku had made a decision that would change everything up until that very point. In the heat of battle, there was no time to think about your actions. _

_Just then, Goku had teleported himself in front of Cell, using his Instant Transmission technique he learned several years ago. He looked back at Gohan, his lips curled into a proud smile._

_"You did good, kid."_

_Both Cell and Goku vanished. The air cleared of the dark clouds that loomed in the sky; the debris vanished completely._

_Now on both knees, the eleven year old flung his head back. He knew what he should've done, but didn't. _

_He lost his father, yet again._

_This time, it was his fault._

_The scream the boy let out was excruciating; his voice was gone, afterwards._

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

His breaths were heavy; sweat drenching the pillow case. For a few moments, Gohan had stayed silent after waking up from that horrid dream again. He opened his eyes, his vision blurred slightly. He tried to adjust himself into a sitting position, but something felt odd; like there was a weight against his stomach. Was it .. No! Couldn't be!

"Go .. han .." The girl laying on top of the boy's stomach mumbled; apparently, she had been there for quite some time sleeping. As luck would have it, her eyes started to open. There was a pleasant warmth in her chest; she stretched her arms out before lifting herself to see if Gohan had woken up. "Go .. Gohan!" She immediately straightened up, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment.

Gohan slipped back towards the wall behind him, sitting upright. He didn't have much color, like he had been suffering from a near-fatal illness. Videl reached out towards his hand; her heart felt as if it were about to burst from her chest.

"G-Gohan," Videl fought back tears as she finally grasped Gohan's near ice-cold hand. "I .. " before Videl could say anymore, Gohan started to slip away from her. The window was open; there was a breeze, almost comforting to the Demi-Saiya-jin.

Why would she cry for him? Why did she feel bad for him? **He** left** her**, didn't he? If anything, the girl should have been furious with him. Something always pulled her back towards the half breed. Videl stumbled while trying to dash towards the window, but Gohan was already gone.

Every person within the Capsule Corporation household turned their heads as Videl screamed bloody murder. It was the first time anyone heard Gohan's name was mentioned in a sentence with a curse word.

"Hey, Mom? What does--" Goten and Trunks asked in complete unison. After the first word of Videl's shriek, Chi-Chi and Bulma covered their ears.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Weeks had passed. Videl was comfortably living at Capsule Corporation, seeming to have adjusted perfectly to her new life out of the lime-light of being Mr. Satan's daughter. Especially since he was exploiting his World Tournament win from a few years ago, and his fabled 'win' over Cell. Things started to feel normal.

The World Tournament was only about a week away; everyone had been training. Vegeta spent most days in the gravitation chamber Bulma had set up for him years ago when they first got married. There were many times that Bulma had to reprogram the computer; Vegeta always complained that the gravity was never high enough. Of course, Bulma was glad to reprogram the machine-- at times, she would have loved to see her Saiya-jin husband get squashed into a pancake.

Videl reluctantly decided to participate in the tournament, much like the eager Trunks and Goten. However, Vegeta made it clear that Videl can only stay within Capsule Corporation if she entered; if she didn't, she would have to go back to her fathers. Videl had no other choice, as reluctant as she was.

"Mail!" Professor Briefs came through to the living area, holding a large envelope along with several smaller sized ones. "Bulma, dear," He stepped into the garage and shut the door behind him. "It looks like the papers came from city hall regarding Miss Satan." He took out his pack of cigarettes from the front pocket of his lab coat and lit it with the lighter Bulma had left on her work station.

"Thanks, Dad," Bulma took the envelope in her hand and stared at it for a few moments before placing it down on the work station. She took out her own pack of cigarettes and lit one up as well. "I don't know how she's going to handle this, but I got them just in case she did say anything regarding her father. She hasn't mentioned him in a while. I'm surprised he hasn't come looking for her." Professor Briefs only nodded his head towards his daughter.

"Well, my dear, you let her know that as long as she's under this roof.. " He flashed her a wide grin, his pearly white teeth almost showing under his snow white mustache. ".. She's considered a member of this family. Now, I'm off to continue working on that time machine I've been slaving over! Quantum physics proved to be more challenging than I thought!" After a hearty laugh, Professor Briefs trotted off towards the opposite end of Capsule Corporation, where his own work station was. Bulma took another puff of her cigarette before putting it out.

"So, how long have you been in here?" She leaned back against the wall that was near the door and placed her hands behind her head, staring up at the ceiling. "I don't remember seeing you coming in."

"I didn't mean to impose," Videl came out from the nook of the opposite corner of the work station, looking down towards the ground. "I'm sorry I stayed here for so long; if you want, I can pack my bags and go back to my father's place. I'm sure everyone has had their gripes about me, anyway." The aqua haired woman let her hair down and went over to the dark haired teenager. She placed both hands on her shoulders and leaned her head down to stare her in the eyes.

"In case you hadn't noticed, young lady," Bulma started; Videl tried to turn her head to avoid eye contact, but the older woman cupped her chin and faced the teenager's head back towards her own. "I've already appointed myself as your surrogate mother. These are just documents to make things official. I know that you still love your father--"

"I don't love him! He destroyed my life, Bulma! I don't want to be involved with him anymore! Mom .. would be rolling in her grave." Videl's cheeks grew warm when Bulma mentioned becoming her surrogate mother; she did not remember much of her biological mother, but **did **needed a mother figure in her life. Maybe it was time for her life to change?

"I tell you what, then," The older woman went over to her work station and tapped on the large envelope that was placed on it only a few minutes earlier. "I'll leave these papers for you, and when you decide what you want to do regarding your father, we can go--"

Before she could finish her sentence, Videl ran over to her and wrapped her arms around Bulma's waist tightly. The older woman placed her arms around the girl and simply held her there.

"Thank you.. " Videl slowly released her embrace around Bulma, looking up at her with an ear-to-ear grin. " .. Mom."

**End Chapter Seven**


	9. Author's Message

**Message from Author:**

Hey, guys! Sorry it's been too long since I've updated this fic; I'll tell you though, right now it's only about 10% complete. I'm planning on taking this the whole way through the Majin Buu saga. Like I said before, this fic is very dear to me and I've become 'attached' to the alternate universe I created here. I'd like to thank each and every one of you who have read this fic and have kept an eye on it for these last three years. You guys are amazing.

I'm currectly working on Chapter Eight, and it'll be finished hopefully by the end of next week, or the week after (depending if other things don't get in the way again.).

Until the next time I update, I'd like to hear your guys' thoughts on what should happen in the fic. I want to know what you all think is going to happen, because I'm writing this for all of you; not just myself.

Thank you guys so much, and take care!


	10. Chapter 8

**Author's Notes: **During this part of the fic, Videl had already learned to control her energy somewhat. I decided to skip the mushy part in the series where Gohan taught Videl how to use her energy and fly. After all, this **is** an alternate universe! Cheers!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Dragonball, Z, or GT. All of the characters are copyrighted by Akira Toriyama.

**Chapter Eight**

The sky was a beautiful blue. Not a cloud in the sky. The World Tournament was starting that day; everyone had made arrangements to meet in front of entrance to the power guage machines. This year they arranged the preliminary rounds by the strength of the fighters. Of course, most-- with the exception of Vegeta and Android Eighteen --hid their power. This was also the first year that Goku was not competing. It was a bittersweet day for the Z-fighters. The World Tournament was the only few days of the year they would spend time together. Peace was at hand; there were no threats to the world-- even the universe --after Cell had been defeated.

"Any sign of Gohan, yet?" Yamcha was the first to break the ice. However, no one responded to him. They were professionals at making him feel neglected and unwanted.

Just then, the sound of someone phasing into the area echoed within a ten foot radius of the entire gang. Baba had appeared in front of the confused Z-fighters. Master Roshi was the first to speak.

"Baba? What're you doing here? We haven't seen you in a long time!" For once, it seemed like Master Roshi wasn't going to bicker with his sister.

"Greetings to you all. I come bearing news that will make this World Tournament more enjoyable for you all," The old witches wrinkled lips curled into a warm smile. "One that may completely change the outcome."

Before anyone could question the witches vague statement, another form quickly phased into view next to her. Everyone froze; even turned pale-- with the exception of Vegeta.

"Hi, everyone!" The familiar orange gi, blue shirt, black with yellow striped boots, wide grin, and innocent and naive demeanor. It could only be one man.

"GOKU!" Everyone seemed to shout in unison. Without hesitating, Chi-Chi left Goten's side and wrapped her arms around her still-fallen husband.

"Oh, sweetheart, I thought .. " Chi-chi started to sob uncontrollablhy. Goku's arms slid around her form tightly. His warmth silenced her sobbing momentarily. "I thought I'd never see you again .." She rested her head against his chest, wiping away the tears from her eyes as their youngest son started to approach the man that looked exactly like him cautiously.

"Whoa, Chi-Chi!" Goku tilted his head and pointed at the little version of himself standing only a few feet away. "Did you and Bulma make a clone of me? He looks just like me!" Despite his horrible joke, everyone laughed heartily. However, Vegeta and Trunks kept their distance from most of the commotion.

"You've missed a lot, Goku," Chi-Chi wiped away the remaining tears from her eyes and kneeled down to the child. "Goten, go on. Say hello to your father!" Moments passed before either of the two said anything. Goku's carbon copy ran toward him, jumping into the air. Luckily the spiky-haired hero was a good catch. He safely placed Goten onto his shoulder.

"Daddy!" Goten leaned his head down and rubbed his cheek against Goku's happily. Everyone continued to laugh and bask in the joyous ocassion. Baba floated over to Goku and shook her head in mild frustration.

"Way to ruin the surprise, Goku," The old witch cleared her throat and glanced towards everyone before turning her attention back to the returning Goku. "In any case, I just want to tell you that you have one day, and one day only. I cannot bend the rules this time." After making herself clear, Baba took flight into the sky.

"I got'cha! Thanks, Baba!" Goku waved as Master Roshi's sister vanished into the air. Afterwards, Goku put Goten down on the ground and grinned widely. "So!"

Everyone stared at Goku, still wide eyed and in a mixture of shock and happiness to see him.

"When are we going to eat? I'm **starving**!"

That made everyone laugh, even Vegeta.

- - - - - - - - - -

It wasn't long before the preliminary rounds were over; the Z-fighters breezed through their opening battles-- although, Vegeta slaughtered his opponent with a vicious ring-out. There were twelve fighters pitted against one anothers in the final line-up. Mr. Satan got a free round, since he was the reigning champion from the previous year. Unlike his wonderful acting when Videl disowned herself as his daughter, he gloated in front of the fans.

Videl scoffed, and boo'd as loud as she could when Mr. Satan made his usual jeers and gawking at the crowd. She felt disgusted. After what happened between them both, he still had the audacity to go out and perform in front of a crowd of thousands as if nothing major had happened to him within the last few weeks. She was sure the tabloids and newspapers would have all the stories and rumors regarding Videl disowning herself as Mr. Satan's daughter.

"So, who is this young lady, Krillin?" Goku asked, placing his hands behind his head as the gang strolled down the hallway that led to the ring. The time to decide who fought against each other was at hand. "I don't recognize her. Is she a friend of yours, or something?"

"Oh! I totally forgot!" Krillin kicked a pebble from the concrete ground to the grass area outside and scratched the back of his head. "Man, this wouldn't be so awkward if Gohan were around." Videl frowned when she heard Gohan's name. It had been weeks since they last saw each other.

"Gohan .. Gohan," Videl turned to Krillin, her fists clenched at her sides. "Can go rot for all I care! Who needs him! I'd take care of him **myself** if he were competing!" She pounded one of her gloved fists into her other palm. Goku went over to Videl and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Whoa, there. What's all this talk about him rotting? He's a good kid. He's just had it rough for a--." Suddenly, Goku's expression changed completely; everyone stopped paying attention to the commotion outside and turned their attention towards him.

"Goku? What is it?" Krillin cocked his head to the side in curiosity. Usually his taller friend didn't get serious unless he sensed something with an evil presence. "Is it .. " He began, but was cut off by his friend.

"Yeah," The spiky-haired hero nodded slowly, and slowly glaced around the surrounding area. "He's here, but in hiding. His energy," A frustrated grunt came from the full-blooded Saiya-jin. "It doesn't feel normal. It's almost like a bad presence is among us. And I don't like it." The teenage girl turned around and smirked up at Gohan's father.

"I guess I'll have to smack some **sense** into him!" The cerulean-blue eyed girl rubbed her hands together and threw a few shadow punches in the air, getting into a traditional fighting stance. "That way he'll learn **not** to mess around with me!"

"Let's hope you pick the right number, then," Eighteen finally spoke. The humanoid android rarely spoke; but when it came to a womans pride, she whole-heartedly supported the cause. "I hope I go up against you, _**dearest**_. That way I can smack some sense into **you**, too. Maybe then you'll learn to pick up after yourself, or even take out the trash on your own!" She smirked, leaning back against the brick wall near the entrance to the ring. Everyone laughed at that statement. Krillin kicked another pebble out into the grass area outside, and grumbled under his breath.

"I see you all are having a good time," A voice called out from down the corridor. It was hard to see who it was, most of the Z-fighters only saw two silhouettes. One was significantly taller than the other. "But there are bigger things to worry about than this tournament, I'm afraid to say."

"Who are you to say there is something more important than fighting Kakarotto?" Vegeta demanded, a growl rumbling through his throat. The two beings approaching from the other side of the hall way were already starting to push Vegeta's buttons, it seemed. "I suggest you take your assumptions some place else, if you want to get to your matches in one piece!"

The figures came out of the shadows. The tall one was very gruff looking, sporting a mullet-like hair style. His eyebrows were furrowed; it looked as if he had never smiled in his entire life-time. The shorter one had a more innocent demeanor. He looked very calm and collected; much to the dismay of Vegeta. He was sporting a mo-hawk. They were both wearing uniforms of the Ancient Kai's that overlooked the universe.

"I think it would be wise to pay attention to those competing in thr tournament," The shorter one continued. He walked past the group, stepping outside of the threshold of the entrance to the building. The crowd was cheering Mr. Satan to the point where it was almost deafening. "You haven't noticed it now, but you will sooner or later. The time is drawing near; I suggest you all be on close guard from this moment on." He bowed, then turned around to walk back to the other side of the hallway where the registration desk was. The taller figure followed in close pursuit. The gang stood speechless as the two left the area.

"What do you make of it, Goku? Do you think we should trust them?" Krillin asked his taller friend. Goku's stern look turned into one of excitement. It made the whole gang even more confused than they were a few moments ago.

"I think we should!" Goku blurted out, staring at his horde of friends. They didn't know what to make of any of it; however, when Goku had a gut feeling about something, they leaned towards believing him. It was his naive nature that got the best of him, most of the time. "What have we got to lose?"

"You're right guys! Why **shouldn't** we trust him? I mean, if Goku does, than so should w--" Before Goku's long-time friend could finish his sentence, Eighteen slapped him on the back-- so hard that it knocked him off his feet.

"It's time to draw our numbers," Eighteen announced, her tone as monotonous as ever. She started walking towards the ring outside, gesturing for the rest of the gang to follow her. "Let's go."

And so, the tournament was finally going to begin. However, Videl stayed behind; she stared down the dark, almost lonesome hallway that led back to the registration desk.

She had a bad feeling brewing in the pit of her stomach.

The heavens above knew she was right.

- - - - - - - - - -

**End Chapter Eight**

**Author's Notes: ** Sorry for the wait everyone! And I'm sorry if this chapter isn't very well written. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. But I'll be pumping out more chapters pretty soon! Count on it! Take care!

-- Jan-Kun


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